Stopcock for fuel tanks



f Patented Jaa, 13, v 1925. g

' raam: r. mourrir ann om 'v. MURPHY, or sumaron, rmsxnvama.

srorooox ron FUEL ranks.

l Applioationvled February 21, 1924. Serial No. 694,277.

vania, havel invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stopcocks for Fuel Tanks,

v of which thefollowing is a specication.

The present invention lrelates to a stops cock' for fuel tanks primarily lntended for use on gasoline tanks on automobiles, and

The main object of the invention is to provide a device for effectively closing the supply of gasoline to the carbureter 1n order that when the owner` of the automoblle leaves it unattended and closes his valve, no unauthorized person can start the automobile, because no gasoline is availableV Afor this purpose. Another object of the invention is to revent the stealing of gasoline from the tan, which is also effected, by the same stopcock.

e It happensfrequently when an automobile is left unattended that the owner finds on vhis return that the gasoline has been stolen so that he has no means of starting -hs engine to proceed on his journey. It

also frequently happens that not only the gasoline is gone but also the car itself has Vbeen stolen, all because ordinarily no means have been provided for closing the gasoline supply from the tank. The present invention now aims at preventing such theft of the gasoline, and of the automobile and to accomplish 'this by 'very simple means.

l'n the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical section of-a gasoline tank with the device installed, and

Figure 2 is atransverse section along line. 2-2 of Figure 1.

In the drawing, reference numeral 10 represents a gasolinetank of the usual .cylindrical shape 'at the bottom of which is attached, in the usual manner, a sediment bulb 11, provided at its lower end with a drain cock 12 of conventional construction.

On one side of thebulb is seen the usual feed pipe 18 leading to the carbureter of the engine.

The upper end of the bulb 11 has an enlar d head 14 which has an external thread v15 ttin in an external boss 16at the bottom oft e tank. The upper end of the head 14 has`still another threaded portion which p is .smaller in vdiameter thangthe 'threaded v closed position.

.i UNITED vs'rpxrifz'a.. PATENT- oFFlcE.

Bart 1.5 so that a shoulder is formed on theA ead as at 18. Against this shoulder 18 is drawn up tightly upon the thread 17 a tube 19 of a length substantially the same as'the diameter of the tank.

Diametrically oppositeA to the boss 16 the tank is provided at its upper side with an internally directed collar 20 havinga thread ada ted to receive the'upper'th'readed end of t e tube 19. The upper end of the tube 1s closed by a plu 2l which is preferably Athreaded in the tu e to form a t1 ht joint.

This plug has an internalthrea to recelve an upper threaded portion 22 of a valve stem 23 which is preferably providled with a flat or square tip 24 adapted to receive a small hand wheel 25. This wheel may be detachably mounted on the ytip 24 .so that it may be easily removed by the owner, or a strap 26 with a padlock or the like,

may be provided for locking -the wheel in The stem 23 extends downwardly through the tube 19 and terminates Iwitha conical valve head 27 for which 'a .correspondingly sha ed seat 28 is furnished in the er part oft e head 14. The seat 28 preferablJ o ens at a com aratively low int in t e bulb through t e pipe 29 in t e. usual manner.

The tube 19 is .provided with a plurality of `perforations '30, see Fig. 2, in order to ad# mit gasoline from the tank into the valve seat 28 into which the perforations open.

Before lstarting his engine the operator turns the small hand wheel sufiiciently to raise the valve head 27 out of its seat 28 into ,the approximate position indicated in Fig.

1. In this position the valve permits gasoline from. the tank surrounding the tube 19 to enter through the aperturesSO -and ass throulgh the' seat 28 into. the sediment bulb 11. rom there the gasoline is drawn in the usual 'manner into t e carbureter through the feed, ipe 13.

When eaving the automobile the operator I turns the hand wheel 25 until the valve head 27 is firmly seated in the head 14 thus pre- Vventin any gasoline from entering the sediment ulb. By now removing the hand wheel 25 oi' locking it with a padlock or other similar device, the operator makes sure that his automobile .cannot be stolen because all the gasoline available vto be turned into the carbureter to start the engine is found in the bulb. Accordingly, if

an unauthorized person should attempt to start the automobile this would be'impossible on account of the lack of gasoline for the engine. Y

On the other hand, somebody that does 'not possess a key ora hand wheel 25 cannot also on 01d ones as the stop cock with all the parte rtaining thereto are furnished assemble complete so that they can be screwed into position from the under side of thetank and allthat is necessary to provide on an old tank would be, a boss or collar 20 in the upper art of the tank opposite the boss 16 in the ottom thereof. n Y

A' very important advantage of the presentinvention is that, if lire should occur on an automobile, or truck tted with this device, the gasoline supply may immediately be cut olf from the engine without danger to the operator as he does not have to crawl under the automobile to do so. linA this manner he saves himself and others from serious injury, the possible e losion of the gasoline tank and the total estructionv of the automobile, which would otherwise be an almost certain consequence.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is;

A stopcock for fuel tanks comprising internally threaded collars secured respectively at the top and bottom of the tank, a head threaded into the threaded collar at the bottom of the tan and having a reduced upper end within the tank, a downwardly extending neck on the head terminating wlth a sediment bulb, a discharge pipe on said neck, a valve seat formed in the upper end of the head, a tube extending diametri? cally across the tank and having its upper end threaded into the collar at the top of the tank and its lower end secured around the upper reduced end o f the head and bearing upon the head at the base of said reduced end, the tube being provided with apertures adjacent the valve seat for-admittmg fuel thereto from the' tank and the upper end of the tube being closed2 a valve fitting the seat, and a valve stem rising from the valve and having threaded enagement with the closed upper end of the tu e.l

' In testimony whereof we aiix our signatures.

FRANK P. MURPHY.

ortion of the 

